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V
E
R.5.
Rom.
9.cleared
Thatehich
is
wholly
in
the
free pleafure
of
God, that lommeth
not
frdm any thing inyhe
power
of
man
:
But
this mercy, electing,
adopting, calling,
is
meerely in
Gods
free pleafure
;
it
is
not
therefore
in
man
ro
procure
it, but
in
Gods liberty
to
Phew
this
mercy.
This anfwer
Both
plainely
thew,
that
the point which diftafted,
was
this
;
That God
Mould at his meere pleafure
thew mercy
to
Jacob,
when he refufed
Efsu;
whichtwould
make
our
election, calling, adop-
tion, quite
our
of
our power,meerely depending do Gods free
pleafure:
For, both
thefe are here
avouched to ftand with
juftice
in
God,
what
ever might
be
furmifed
:
And
4narke
here, that the Apoftle
doth
maintains it without injuflice,
to
thew and refute
mercy,
when he
conldereth
not
any
thing
in
the perlonswhich might
make this equall:
For were
the equity
of
Gods mercy
{hewed
to
!scab,
and denied
Ow
in
this, that now all were become children
of
wrath
,
whom
God might pardon and rettore, or
leave and
execute at
his pleafure
;
then the
Apofile
thould
in
the honour
he
owed to the name
of
God,
have here expreffed this
confideration, that
God might
juftly thew
mercy
to
Tome,
anddeny it
to otherfome,who werenow fuch,that they
had by
finne
brought
the mfelves under
fintenceof
condemnation. For
if
he had not;hewed
it
to any,
he had not beene
unjuft ;
but
Saint
bud
did know
that
he had affirmed,
that God
looking neitherat merit
in
the
one, nor demerit
in
the
other,had
chofen and
loved the one,
refufed
and
leffe
loved the
other.
Here marke
Arminius.
If
that purpofe, God
rejecting loch
as
feeke
righteoufneffe
by
their ovine workes,eleéting
be1leevers,depend
onely on
his
mercy,
then
it is
not unjutt.
jj
But
that purpofeis
neither from him
that runneth, &c. but
de-
pendeth
on
Gods meere mercy, Ergo,
it
is
not to be
accufed
ofinjuflice.
Firft Marke
how
he
maketh the Apoflle not anfwer the
difficulty
of
the Objection, which
was
this;
How
could
God
goelfrom
one
Covenant
,
decreeing falvation on workes , and decree
contrary,
that
not
workers, but
beleevers thould be faved r
for Gods
mercy
can-
not
be the caufe,
nothing
elfe
comming betweene, why
God
fhould
change
his
order,
and goe
from oneunto
a
contrary. Secondly; Let
him
(hew
how mercy
can
be
the onely
caufe,
why
a
jufticiarie, cleaving to
owne
righteoufneffe,
is
rejeêted from falvation.
Thirdly;
The,
Apoftle doth not prove this decree,
that
beleevers
(hall
be faved, to be,
jolt
in
God, but
Gods (hewing mercy
in
deflination
and execution
to
one
before another.
Now
this decree, I will
fave all
that
(hall
beleeve;
doth not
Phew
any
mercy to
one
before another, but
offers
mercy
to
all
alike.
Laftly
;
Who
would ever
accule
the mercy
of
God,
fordecreeing
in a
juft
courte to bring
men
to
falvation,
when now they had
made
themfelves guilty
of
wrath
:
Marke
how he depraveth
that
confeétarie,
which fheweth that
it
is
not
in
our
power now
under wrath
to
deferve
that God
fhould decree
the
falvation
of
us, in
cafe
we
would
beleeve.
H
But